FAIRFAX OF CAMERON, FERDINANDO FAIR FAX, 2ND BARON (1584-1648), English parliamentary general, was born on March 29, 1584, son of. Thomas Fairfax of Denton (156o-164o), first Baron Fairfax of Cameron (c. 1627). He was M.P. for Boroughbridge during the six parliaments which met between 1614 and 1629 and also during the Short Parliament of 1640. In May 1640 he succeeded his father as Baron Fairfax, but being a Scottish peer he sat in the English House of Commons as one of the representatives of Yorkshire during the Long Parlia ment from 1640 until his death ; he took the side of the parliament, but held moderate views and desired to maintain the peace. In the first Scottish war Fairfax had commanded a regiment in the king's army; on the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 he was made commander of the parliamentary forces in Yorkshire, with Newcastle as his opponent. Hostilities began after the repudi ation of a treaty of neutrality entered into by Fairfax with the royalists. At first he met with no success. He was driven from York, where he was besieging the royalists, to Selby; then in 1643 to Leeds; and after beating off an attack at that place he was totally defeated at Adwalton Moor (June 3o) . He escaped to Hull, which he defended against Newcastle (Sept. 2–Oct. I 1), and by means of a brilliant sally caused the siege to be raised. Fairfax was victorious at Selby (April 11, 1644), and joining the Scots besieged York, after which he was present at Marston Moor. In July he was made governor of York, in December he took the town of Pontefract, but failed to secure the castle. He resigned his command on the passing of the Self-denying Ordinance, but remained a member of the committee for the government of Yorkshire. He died from an accident on March 14, 1648, and was buried at Bolton Percy. He was twice married, and by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Lord Sheffield (afterwards 1st earl of Mulgrave), he had six daughters and two sons, Thomas, who succeeded him as 3rd baron, and Charles, a colonel of horse, who was killed at Marston Moor.